Cracker-packing machine.



Patentd .Ian. 29, mm.

J. w. SHANER. CRACKER PACKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 8, 1900.]

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN W. SHANER, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

CRACKER-PACKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,705, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed November 8, 1900- Serial No. 35,839- (No model.)

To aZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WESLEY SHANER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cracker- Packing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of packing cakes, crackers, and the like in cartons or packages, and has for its object to provide a machine for holding the cartons with their mouthsextendedforthereceptionofthecrackers and cakes, which are fed continuously to the box, and to arrange for stopping the supply when the cartons have become filled in order that the filled carton may be replaced by an empty one. It is furthermore designed to arrange for the convenient application and removal of the cartons or packages and for stopping the supply of crackers, whereby a single operator or attendant may have control of these operations of the machines.

With these and other objects in view the presentinvention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accom panying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cracker packing machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof, taken through the supply-chute and the adjustable carton-holding device. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the present machine has a table or platform 1, which is supported upon suitable legstandards 2, thereby forming the supportingframe upon which are mounted the operating parts of the machine.

Located substantially midway between the opposite ends of the table, extending for the entire width thereof and inclining upwardly toward the back of the table, is a platform 3, formed from a single blank of sheet metal of suitable Width, having its front end secured to the' front edge of the table and seated in a notched or recessed portion thereof. The rear end of the platform is bent downwardly, so as to form a supporting-leg 4, which is provided with one or. more vertical slots or bifurcations 5for the reception of an adjustable fastening o', driven through the slot and into the back edge of the table, whereby the rear end of the platform may be adjusted vertically to vary the inclination thereof. At the front end of the platform there is provided an upstanding transverse foot-flange '7 for the support of the cartons or packages, as will be hereinafter described. At a suitable distance upwardly from the front end of the' inclined platform the latter is bent or bowed downwardly, as at 8, so as to offset the carton-supporting lower end 9 slightly below the upper or body portion of the platform to accommodate one side of the carton beneath the holding-slide 10, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

.A cracker-supply chute 11 is supported upon the inclined platform and projects beyond the rear end thereof for any suitable distance to receive the crackers, cakes, biscuits, or Whatever is being packed. The lower or front end of the chute terminates'at or adjacent to where the bend 8 begins, so that the carton-support 9 may be unobstructed, and is secured to the platform by means of suitable removable fastenings l2.

Interposed between the lower end of the chute and the inclined platform is the cartonholding slide 10, which has opposite upstanding longitudinal flanges 13, which embrace the respective longitudinal flanges 14 of the chute. In the body portion of the slide there are provided a pair of longitudinal slots 15 for the reception of the fastenings 12 in order that the slide may be moved longitudinally, and thereby be projected beyond the lower end of the chute and into the mouth ofacarton supported upon the support 9 and resting against the foot-flange 7.

To move the slide longitudinally in opposite directions, so as to be thrust into the stop the supply thereof.

months of the cartons and afterward withdrawn therefrom, there is provided a treadle 16, which is mounted upon a crossbar 17, carried by the lower portion of the frame of the machine and in convenient reach from the front of the machine. A connecting or drive rod 18 rises from the rear end of the treadle and has its upper end pivotally connected to the lower end of an upright bell-crank or angle lever 19, which is fulcrumed upon the table and projects upwardly through a slot or opening 20, formed therein. The upper end of the bell-crank lever is connected to the slide 10 by means of a substantially horizontal link 21, which has its front hooked end removably engaged with an opening formed in a pendent clip or bracket 22, carried by the under side of the slide and working in a longitudinal slot 23, formed in the inclined platform. By this arrangement the slide may be conveniently moved back and forth by manipulating the treadle with one foot, thus leaving the hands free for replacing the cartons.

In order that the supply of crackers to the carton may be conveniently stopped when a filled carton is being replaced, the lower portion of one of the flanges of the chute is separated from the bottom or body portion thereof, so as to form a laterally-movable check or stop 24,which is designed to be moved laterally inward across the bottom of the chute, so as to contract the lower discharge end thereof, and thereby press against the crackers and For conveniencein manipulating this stop or check there is provided a spring-actuated trip-lever 25, which is located adjacent to the lower portion of the supporting-frame and at one end thereof, the rear end of the lever being connected, as at 26, to one of the rear legs of the frame and the front free end thereof being projected slightly in front of the frame, so as to be in convenient reach of the foot of the attendant. A rod 27 rises from the free portion of the trip-lever and has its upper end pivotally connected to the lower end of an upright bellcrank lever 28, fulcrumed upon the inner side of 'the adjacent leg of the table and having its upper arm projecting through a slot or opening 29, formed in the top of the supporting frame or table. Aconneoting-rod 30 extends between the upper end of the bell-crank lever and the movable check 24: and is connected thereto by means of a loose link 31, which works in a longitudinal slot 32 in the adjacent flange of the carton-holding slide, so as not to interfere with the operation of the latter. The trip-lever 25 is preferably in the form of aspring-rod, the free end of which is normally held in an elevated position by engagement with a rack 33, carried by the adjacent leg of the supporting-frame, whereby the check or stop 24 is normally held flat against the adjacent flange of the cartonholding slide, so that the chute may be unobstructed for the proper feed of the crackers. When it is desired to stop the supply of crackers, the attendant trips the lever 25 out of engagement with the rack by the use of one foot, whereby the spring tension of the lever will throw it downwardly, and through the intermediate connections the cracker-check will be forced inwardly, so as to choke or contract the discharge end of the chute,and thereby hold the crackers within the chute.

What is claimed is 1. A packingorfilling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined chute. a carton or package support, and a mouth-distending slide for the cartons or packages.

2. A packing and filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined feed-chute, a carton or package support at the lower end of the chute, a mouthdistending slide for the cartons or packages, said slide being mounted upon the chute, and means for moving the slide in opposite directions.

3. A packing and filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined platform supported thereby, a carton or package support located at the lower end of the platform and offset in a lower parallel plane, a chute supported upon the platform, and a mouth-distending slide mounted between the chute and the platform and normally projected across the carton or package support.

A. A packing and filling machine of the character described, comprising a table, an inclined chute mounted thereon, a carton or package support, a mouth-distending slide for the cartons or packages, a treadle mounted upon the table, a bell-crank lever also mounted upon the table, and connections between the opposite ends of the bell-crank and the slide and the treadle, respectively.

5. A packing or filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined platform mounted thereon, and having a bottom transverse flange forming a carton or package support, a feed-chute carried by the platform and terminating short of the flange, and a mouth-distending slide mounted upon the platform and working in the interval between the flange and the adjacent end of the chute.

6. A packing and filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame or table, a downwardly and forwardly inclined platform having its front end connected to the front of the table, and provided with an upturned transverse flange, and its rear end having a downturned supporting-leg adjustably connected to the table, a feed-chute carried by the platform and terminating short of the flange, and a mouth-distending slide mounted upon the platform and working longitudinally thereof between the chute and the flange.

7. A packing and filling machine of the character described, comprising an inclined platform, a carton or package support at the lower end of the platform, a chute carried by the platform and terminating short of the support, a mouth-distending slide mounted between the chute and the platform and having one or more longitudinal guide-slots, and one or more fastenings passing through the chute and the platform and also through the respectix e slots of the slide.

8. A packing or filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined chute, a carton or package support, a check or stop which is movable transversely across the chute, a trip-lever, and an operative connection between the lever and the check or stop.

9. A packing or filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined feed-chute, a carton or package support, a flanged mouth-distending slide embracing the discharge end of the chute, a laterally-movable check or stop within the chute, a trip-lever, and an operative connection between the lever and the check, one of the flanges of the slide having a longitudinal slot receiving the connection between the triplever and the check.

10. Apackingorfilling machine ofthecharacter described, comprising a frame, an inclined feed-chute mounted thereon, and having opposite longitudinal flanges, the lower end portion of one flange being separate from the bottom of the chute and forming a laterally-movable check or stop, a carton or'package support, and an operating device connected to the check or stop.

11. A packing or filling machine of the character described, comprising a frame, an inclined feed-chute, a carton or package support, a laterally-movable check or stop within the chute, a spring-actuated trip-lever, a rack therefor, a belLcrank, and connections between the opposite ends of the bell-crank and the check and the trip-lever, respectively.

12. In a packing or filling machine of the character described, the combination with a table, of aforwardly and downwardly inclined feed-chute, a carton or package support at the discharge end of the chute, a longitudinallyslidable mouth distending slide mounted upon the chute, a treadle operatively connected to the slide, a check or stop movable laterally within the chute, and a trip-lever operatively connected to said check or stop.

13. In a packing or filling machine of the character described, the combination with a table, of an intermediate forwardly and downwardly inclined platform carried by the top thereof, an upstanding flange at the bottom end of the platform, a flanged feed-chute supported upon the platform, a flanged mouthdistending slide mounted between the platform and the chute, embracing the lower or discharge end of the latter, and normally projected beyond the chute, a clip or bracket carried by the under side of the slide and movable in a longitudinal slot in the platform, a treadle mounted between the legs of the table, an upright bell-crank projecting upwardly through a slot in the top of the table and operatively connected to the clip or bracket and the treadle, the lower end portion of one of the flanges of the chute being separate from the bottom thereof and forming a laterallymovable check or stop, a spring-actuated triplever mounted upon the table, a verticallydisposed bell-crank projecting through a slot in the top of the table, and in operative relation to the trip-lever, and a connection between the'bell-crank and the check or stop and passing through a slot in one flange of the mouth-distending slide.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J. W. SHANER.

Witnesses:

E. A. LIEB, J. H. HAERTTER. 

